Spark-plug.



I'. H. WEINHAUER.

SPARK PLUG. APPLIOATIONPILED SEPT. ze, 190s. 92Q,7O2, Patented May 4, 1909 il- /M/V/ A th k yJNITED FRED H. WEINHAUER, OF NEW YORK, Y.

SPARK-PLUG.

Specification o' Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1909'.

Application led September 26, 1908. Serial No. 454,926.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED H. llnINHAUnR, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented an lmprovernent in Spark-Plugs, of which the fol owing is a specification. v

My invention relates to aspark plug and to such as are employed for the electrical ignition of the explosive mixture in'the cyl- ISO inclers of gas and oil engines, and particulai-ly to a spark plug of the so-called -jump spark type in contradistinction to that type of plug in which a break spark is employed.

Heretofore so far as I am4 aware the jump spark plugs have been so constructed thatthere is more or less of a tendency of short cireuiting the high tension current employed; the. short circuit being between the shell or groundelectrode and the binding post -or other connection to which the shell or interior electrode is electrically connected, such short circuits beingv commonly caused b water or moisturecolleoting or otherwise a hering to the outer surface and extending between the said bindin post and shell, and as it will be understood, is unavoidable in many cases,-for instance in theiuse of nia-- rine motors in small boats when the spray is dashed over the sides.

Now the obj ect of my invention is the provisionof a spark plu in which the possibility of short circuiting t e spark points is obviated and at the same time to provide ina,

spark `plug a novel joint for electrically and mechanicallyconnecting the plug to the cable leading thereto from the coil box.

In carrying out my invention, I employ the usual shell or body adapted to be connected to the cylinder head of the gas, oil or other explosive engine. This shell las is customary comprising a ground terminal of the plug, a shell terminal, an insulating collar for the shell terminal, means Whereby'the shell terminal issecured in the insulating collar, means for securing the said shell terminal and its insulating collar .Within the said shell and `means for connecting a cable both mechanically and electrically to the saidshell electrode andwithin thesaid shell, 'as will be hereinafter more particularly described.`

"In the drawing, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section illustrating my improved' s ark plu AF ig. 2 is a section on liner, rv, 1g. 1. 1g. 3 1s a section of the outer end `dicated at 23.

the plug showing the parts before they are clamped into position as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinalsection of the clamping sleeve employed within the shell of the plug and Fig. 5 is an elevation and parytial section of the end of the cable and the nipple therefor employed thereon in making the connection at the coil box.

Referring particularly to the drawing, designates the shell or body of the spark plug and is preferably made of suitable metal of good conductivity and rovided at one end with a screw-threaded s ank 11 adapted to be received in a suitable opening in the cylinder head of a gas, oil, or other explosive en ine. The'screw-threaded end 11 is provi ed with a bore indicated at 12 terminating at a shoulder 14 from which extending partially through the shell 10 is a bore 13 of larger diameter than the b ore 12; the bore 13 being terminated bya shoulder 131 from which to the outer en Vtends a bore 15 which is screwk threaded and of'larger diameter than the bore 13.

' 16 designates thefshell electrode the section of which for the greater part of its length is hexagonal as shown in Fig. 2,- Oras will beunderstood, ma be of any other fiat sided configuration. electrode 16 is provided with a spark pin 17 and the opposite end of the shell electrode of the shell ex.-

ne end ofthe shell is screw-threaded and so adapted to receive a nut 18. Y.

19. designates a barrel of insulating material having approximately centrally of its length a peripheral flan e 21 of such a diameter as to fit snugly Wit in the bore 13; the diameter Vof thev other 'portions' of the said barrel being' sli htly smaller than the bore 12 so that the within this bore 12.

ower end of the barrel fits,

Between the shoulder 14 and that formed I by the eripheral flange 21 on the insulating barrel, -emplo the insulating packing materia-l indicate at 22 and on the opposite side of the peripheral flange 21 I also employ a ring of insulating packing material in- 'lhe shell electrode 16 as is customary passes entirely through the insulating barrel 19, and between the shoulder formed between the hexagonal portion jof the shell electrode and the enlarged end formed in the b ore barrel for' the shel electrode,- lV ein loy a ring of insulating packin material in icated lat 20 and the said shouilder and shell electrede are drawn tight against the said ring? bushing 31 in gripping the sleeve 27 and of insulating material 2O by drawing up the nut 18 against the inner end of the insulating barrel 19. Now over the inner' end of the insulating barrel 19 I employ a gland indicated at 24 which may be made of any suitable material and is adapted to bear against a ring 23 of insulating material and to force the same down against the peripheral flange 21 of the barrel 19 and in turn to force the ring 22 against the shoulder 14 to make a tight joint between these arts to prevent the escape of the combustib e gases from the engine cylinder.

W'ithin the bore 15 at the outer end of the shell I employ a thirnble indicated at 25 which is exteriorlyr `screW .threaded and adapted to be turned down against the gland 24 to eilect the joint aforesaid.

26 indicates a cylindrical block preferably made of insulating material and provided at one end with a recess which as indicated is semi-circular and adapted to receive the semi-circular nut 18 and to rest against and overlap the inner end of the barrel 19 and to surround the said nut 1S. 'I' his block 26 is alsov provided with a small longitudinal centrally disposed bore, the purpose of which is hereinafter stated.

27 represents a sleeve adapted to fit within the bore 15 of the shell and at one' end to vfit over the block 26, being lprovided with a bore of one diameter for this purpose and abore of larger diameter to receive a cable,

the cover of .which is indicated at 28, while 29 ldesignates a sheath of insulating material and 30 the Wire or conductor memherofthe cable the said Wire 30 being passed through the bore aforesaid in the block 26 and into a recess provided therefor inthe inner end of the shell electrode 16; th'e cover and the insulating sheathing of the cable being removed from the end thereof and adapted to abut against the inner end of the insulating block 26, all of which is plainly indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. l

31 designates a bushing which is exteriorly screw-threaded and ada ted to be received 'within the screW-threa ed bore 15 of the shell 10. It will be noted that the inner extremity of the sleeve 27 is tapered as indicated at a and that the inner end of the bushing 31 is interiorly ta ered as indicated at b and at a different angIl) on the end of the sleeve 27 g the bushingl 81. bein preferably made integral with the fiatside head32 by means of which the same is screwed down against the ends of the sleeve 27 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that indicated in Fig. 1, whereby the tapered end of the sleeve 27 is forced into the cover and sheathing of the cable to such an extent that a tight mechanical joint is effected securely holding the cable in position within the lug and at the same I time the tendency cip the e to the taper effectedy forcing the saineA intdthe cable` sheathing is to move the cable slightly farther into the shell, thereby causing ,the end bf the cable conductor wire 30 to scat positively` against the base of the recess in the inner end of the shell electrode 16 to insure a good electrical connection between these parts. At the opconnection-is made tofthe coil box, I prefer to employ a nipple indicated at 33 which is preferably provided with an .elongated end through which a bared portion of the conductor wire 30 of the cable is passed and thereby adapted to be secured to the bindin post or other suitable connection on the coi box; the end of the cover and insulated sheathing of the cable passing a material distance into the said nipple it being apparent that any possible shortcircuiting between the connection'at the coil box and the shell of the cable or ground electrode by moisture collecting on the cable will beovercome by the breakin such a short circuit made bythe nipple 33.

It will also be understood that I prefer to make the insulating barrel 19 of. porcelain, the block 26 and sleeve 27 of compressed liber, or that other materials of equally good insulating qualities may be employed in their stead.

I claim as m invention: A

1. A spark p ug comprising a shell7 a shell electrode, an insulating barrel for saidl shell electrode, means within said shell for maintaining the said shell electrode and barrel in .position therein,l a cable sleeve within thc said shell abuttin against the said means, a"

cable, and an en member adapted to interiorly engagethe said shell and to force the end of the vsaid cable sleeve into the sheathing yconnection between the'cable and the said shell electrode. v

2. A spark plug comprising a shell, a shell electrode, an insulating barrel for said shell electrode, nfeans adapted to be screwed down within the said shell to secure the said shellA electrode y and its barrel in position therein, an insulating cable sleeve fitting freely Withinthe said lshell and ada ted to abut'against the aforesaid means, a ca le,and an end member adapted to interiorly engage vthe said shell and to force the end of the said cable sleeve into the`sheathin'g of said ,cable which passes through the said end meniber and cable sleeve so as to secure the cable to the spark plug, and also to insure the electrical ,connection between the cable and the shell electrode.

3. A spark plug comprising .a shell, the body portion of which is interiorly screw threaded, a shell electrode, an insulating barrel for said shell electrode, a thinible exterioily screw threaded and adapted to be screwed downwithin the said shell to maintain the 'said shell electrode and its. insulating barrel in'position Within the said shell, a

"cable, a cable sleeve 0f insulating material abutting againsttle end of the said thimble,

a bushing adapted to be screwed down within the .said shell and to engage and force the end of the said cable sleeve into the sheathing of said cable which passes through the said bushing and cable sleeve to secure the cable A to the plug and to insure the electrical connection between the cable and l the shell ada ted -tobe screwed.y down Within the said.

she to maintain the said shell electrode and its insulating barrel in e ing material abutting against the end of the trical connection'betweenrthe said parts.

said thimble, a "bushing adapted to be` screwedy down within the said shell and to engage vand`force the end of vthejsaid cable sleeve'into the sheathing` of said cable which passes through thesaid bushing and cable sleeve to secure the cablefto the plug and to seat the cable in the said recess in the end of the shell electrode and sol insureth elec- 5. A spark plu 'comprising a shell, a shell i electrode, anfinsu ating barrel, means -i'or se-A curing the Shellelectrode Within the insulating barrel, athimble ittingl'within the said shell and adapted to-vs'eur'e lthe said shell electrode and insulating -barrel Within the shell, ablock adapted tov Vass within the said thirnble to bear against t e inner. end of the i f said insulating vbarrel,l and means for mechanically and electrically connecting a' osition withinfthe said'shelll, a .ca-ble, a cab esleeve of insulat-vv Cable Within Saidfsheu and to the sid Shell electrode.

6. A spark plug 'comprising a shell, a shell electrode, an insu ating barrel, means for se' curing the shell electrode within the insulat- ,ing barrel, a thimble fitting Within the said -shell vand adapted to secure the saidl shell electrode and insulating barrel Within the.

shell, a 'block adapted to pass within' the said thinible to befar against the innervend of the said insulatingbarr'el, a cable, a1 sleeve" ittingigwithin said' shell and adapted to 'pass over the said block and bear a ainst. and

overlap the end of the said thimb e and also` to receive said cable, and means co-acting "with the said sleeve to form 'a tight joint between the same and the cable within-the said shell and to insure the electrical connection between the-saidshell electrode and cable.

7. A spark plug comprisinga shell, a shell electrode, an insulating' barrel, means for securing the shel'leleetrode Within the insulating barrel, a thimble fitting within the said'l i shell vand ladaptedgto secure thesaid" shell electrode and 'insulating ,barret-Within the shell, a block adapted` t0 Sass within the said thimble to bear against t e inner end of the said insulating barrel, a cable', a sleeve iit-ting within'said shell and adapted to ,pass over the said'block' and bear against and overlap the end of the said thin'ibleandralsoto receive said cable, thev exterior of saidfslee've ,being tapered externally, `and a'biishing adapted to within the said shell and having aninternally tapered extremity adapted to en age and'i'orce the vsaid ta ered end of the s eeve into .the cable 'W ich passesl `through the said'bushing and intothe said sleeve to make a tight joint betweenthesaid cable and sleeve and bushing.`

Signed by lme this 5th day of September,

s."y ,-j

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, E. ZACHARIASEN.

FRED HQWEINHAUER. 

